This whole world has sunk into mendacity and everybody toils.
All things of the world are useless and bear useless fruits.
There are no friends. There are no brothers since everybody seeks his own advantage.
The Teachings of Silvanus (The Nag Hammadi Library)
I hold a master degree in business economics but during my studies no one ever captured the essence of economics for me so well and in so few words.
This should, however, not come as a surprise to those who read the article on University Education in the magazine High Society. (Just click here on the title if you have not read it yet).
It astonishes me how the ancient words of Silvanus still capture the essence of economics today. Everybody toils and for what?
Whether we are a coal miner loading sixteen tons or a desk clerk shifting files, we all slave away and are deeper in debt than ever. Some owe the company store, some owe the credit card company, some owe the bank and most of us owe the bank, the credit card company and the company store.
We all are extremely occupied with making sure that we get what we need and what we think we deserve plus that little bit more just to be safe side. But we can never actually quite get it. There is an interesting little story about this. It is very, very, very old but quite an eye-opener:
There once was a rich man who had loads of money.
He said: I will use my money to sow, reap and plant
and fill my storehouses with fruit
so that I may have need of nothing.
This was what he was thinking in his heart.
And in that night he died.
Whoever has ears, hears.
The Gospel of Thomas
(The Nag Hammadi Library)
I am sure that if we stopped trying so hard, we could create a whole different world; a world without any economics, without any fruitless toiling; a world where each and every one of us would be looked after. After all the earth is a place of abundance and plenty so why should anyone have a shortage?
Unfortunately, we can safely say that we are still a long way away from that Utopia.
So for the moment, like a child playing house, I just pretend. It is not that easy as I always think I need more than I do or want more than I need. But when I do manage to play by the rules I suddenly find myself in a whole different world; a world filled with peace and harmony; a world where there is no toiling, no work, only play. Will you come and play with me?
